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Spain embraces Bostonian ambassador after bombings

Amb. Alan Solomont had just checked into to his hotel room in Valencia, Spain, April 15, when his daughter called from Boston to say she was OK. As Solomont, a life-long Bostonian who's now the U.S. ambassador

Ambassador Alan Solomont had just checked into to his hotel room in Valencia, Spain, on April 15 when his daughter called from Boston to say she was OK.

A life-long Bostonian who's now the U.S. ambassador to Spain, Solomont began tracking the events in his hometown. As he dedicated a new "American Space" at the Valencia Polytechnic University the next day, Solomont experienced an outpouring of solidarity from Spaniards toward Americans that he says was all the more intense because of Spain's recent experience with terror.

Spanish officials have dedicated Sunday's Rock and Roll Marathon in Madrid to Boston and are planning to hand out black ribbons with runners' race numbers and to have a minute of silence at the start in honor of Boston.

In Boston this week to give a speech to students at Tufts University at an event scheduled before the bombings, Solomont says his first reaction to the blasts was dismay.

"We were shocked, horrified, angry. It was clear early this was a terrorist attack," said Solomont, who is chairman of a Boston health care investment firm and founder of a Boston-based home care company.

But then he was enveloped by a heartwarming embrace from all across Spain, which had sent 100 runners to participate in the Boston race.

Senior members of the Spanish government called to express their condolences. The parliament passed a resolution expressing sympathy with the Boston victims. At the university, the day after the attack where Solomont was presenting an "American Space" to expand cooperation between the two countries, American flags flew at half-staff, adorned with black sashes, and every event started with an expression of concern, Solomont said.

"There was an enormous sense of solidarity, of feeling sympathy and concern for our city," he said. "This is something that galvanized people around the world."

The reason, Solomont said, has to do with what the Boston Marathon symbolizes and the culture of free and democratic nations.

"The (Boston) marathon is a celebration that brings people together from all over the world," he said. "Runners come together with their families, and it's a holiday in the city of Boston. The best antidote (to terror) is to be true to our values and be normal."

Spain has seen its share of violence, including a brutal civil war followed by decades of military dictatorship and poverty in the 20th century, and a massive terrorist attack on March 11, 2004, when extremists linked to al-Qaeda launched a coordinated bombing of commuter trains, killing 191 people and injuring 1,800.

Yet Madrid, where those attacks occurred, is still vibrant, with a lively nightlife, beautiful restaurants and almost 60 million visitors passing through each year, Solomont said. In general elections four days later, Spaniards ousted their incumbent government and installed a leader who promised to withdraw troops from the war in Iraq.

"You'd never know they went through this. It's an open city," he said. "Spain is a great example of the resilience of society."

Extremists who attack Western targets should should take note "that our commitment to our values is solid even in the tragedies they can create," he said.

Driving through Boston's congested traffic on a spring afternoon this week after speaking to students at Tufts University, Solomont said the same sentiment came to mind.

"People are walking in the streets. The flowers are blooming. You wouldn't know what happened," he said. "The antidote is to live lives freely in a democracy where people are free to express themselves."